One Health Pass Philippines: Registration, Requirements, and Tips for Travellers!

Update:

As of Sept 12, 2022, fully vaccinated travellers with or without booster shots, who failed to comply with the pre-departure RT-PCR or antigen testing shall not be required to undergo facility-based quarantine and testing provided that:

a. They have received the second dose in a 2-dose series or a single dose vaccine more than fourteen (14) days prior to the date and time of departure from the county or origin/port of embarkation.

b. They possess and present any of the following proofs of vaccination: i) World Health Organization International Certificate if Vaccination and Prophylaxis; or ii) VaxCertPH; or iii) National or state digital certificate of the country/foreign government which has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciprocal arrangement; or iv) other proofs of vaccination permitted by the IATF

Ah, the joys of travel. Remember when all you had to worry about was packing your bags and ensuring you had enough traveller's checks? These days, it's all about providing you have the right documentation—passports, visas, negative COVID-19 tests... the list goes on.

In the Philippines, for example, you now need to register for One Health Pass to enter the country. One Health Pass is a platform made to provide a convenient way to track and keep a record of everyone who enter the Philippines. Since the pandemic, travellers must register to the said platform.

What is One Health Pass?

One Health Pass is an electronic pass that will ease your entrance to the Philippines from arrival at the airport (or seaport) to the isolation facility you will check in upon arrival. When air travel opened during the pandemic, international travellers in the country must be quarantined for 5-10 days, depending on the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) provision. Currently, only those who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, and people whose vaccination status cannot be independently verified must stay in a facility-based quarantine until the results of their negative RT-PCR test are released on the fifth (5th day) after the date of arrival.

Getting the One Health Pass is made easy through an online portal managed by the BOQ. Aside from online registration, the portal lets travellers track their swab test, get their quarantine certificate, access/pre-enlist for a quarantine facility, get an S-Pass for local travels (if required by the province), access local health centers, avail of PhilHealth services, and get assistance from Malasakit Centers.

Upon successful registration to the portal, you will receive your One Health Pass in the form of a QR code and transaction number, which will be required throughout your travel.

Who needs to get One Health Pass?

All travellers who will enter the borders of the Philippines need One Health Pass, including:

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), Non-OFWs (e.g., vacationers, international students, business people, etc.); and Foreign Nationals

How Do I Register For One Health Pass?

Getting your One Health Pass takes only a few minutes. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you.

Step 1: Visit the One Health Pass online platform.

The first thing you need to do is access the portal here. Sometimes, travellers encounter difficulties loading the portal but keep refreshing the page.

Just an important reminder: You must register three days before your departure. Registering less or more than three days means your Health Declaration Form will be invalid, and you won't be able to travel.

Step 2: Register.

On the page, tap the register icon. Every time you arrive in the Philippines, you must register. Registration serves as a record for the authorities to easily track the movement of international travellers to keep you and the locals safe.

Step 3: Fill out all the necessary information.

To register, you must fill out all the important information regarding your travel. For starters, travellers are advised to be fully vaccinated (except children 11 years old and below). Make sure to have your vaccination card/certificate on-hand because these information will be required if you have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The eHDC (electronic Health Declaration card) is a form where you will be asked about the date and location of your departure and arrival, vaccination status, and your basic personal information (e.g., name, birthdate, passport, address, employment details for OFWs, and other health information).

Before submission, check if you've entered the right information. You may change your details if the BOQ hasn't yet verified your data. But after that, it may be hard for you to correct any mistake in your data.

After reviewing your form, click "submit." Don't forget to read the Data Privacy and check the affidavit undertaking at the bottom of the page. Also, you'll need to enter CAPTCHA before submission to keep your data secure and confirm you're a human.

Step 4: Wait for your transaction number.

After submission, receiving an email containing your transaction number should only take a few minutes. Keep this code, as you will use this to submit your eHDC (the form you've filled out).

Remember that you should not submit your eHDC when you receive your transaction number. You only need to submit this the day before or after your departure. Otherwise, you will receive your QR code too early, which will not be valid anymore on your arrival date.

In the meantime, you may check your data on your One Health portal profile. As long as the BOQ does not yet verify you, you can quickly correct any mistake which may cause delays and issues before, during, and after your travel if left unchanged.

Step 5: Get your One Health Pass personal QR.

Wait for the date of (or the day before) your flight, and submit your eHDC using the transaction number emailed to you. To do this, go to the One Health Pass portal again, then click the "My Profile" button. Enter your last name and transaction number.

From there, you can submit your eHDC. You will receive your One Health Pass (OHP) personal QR within a few minutes. To save your OHP QR code, you may opt to take a screenshot of it or print it on paper.

After that, you may also view your swab test date, track your result, and get a quarantine certificate (after isolation in an accredited hotel/facility within a prescribed period), if you will be required to undergo facility-based quarantine based on your vaccination status.

If you mistakenly submitted your eHDC too early and got a One Health Pass QR code that expires on or before your arrival date, you may still resubmit your eHDC with the same transaction number on the day of (or a day before) your flight. With this, you will disregard the previous One Health Pass QR code(s) you received and use the latest QR code instead.

You will use your OHP personal QR to verify your eHDC and arrival. If you have been required to quarantine, you will also need this to check in and out of the hotel/quarantine facility assigned to you.

Remember that you must stay at your designated hotel/quarantine facility within the prescribed days set by the BOQ. During the last night of your stay, the result of your swab test will be released alongside a Unified BOQ Certificate, provided that you have tested negative for COVID.

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